Lidl deploys driverless truck for store deliveries in Germany
ainews ·
Lidl has begun using a cab-less autonomous electric truck for regular store deliveries in Germany on a route between its Edermünde distribution centre and a nearby store. Supplied by Swedish freight technology company Einride, the vehicle operates at SAE Level 4 under a permit from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority and carries no driver or safety operator. It can transport 15 Euro pallets and make up to three trips per day, handling dry-goods deliveries during a four-month project expected to move more than 3,000 pallets. Lidl is assessing how autonomous transport could fit into its logistics operations, while also citing driver shortages and continuity of goods movements; it has not disclosed efficiency gains or announced a wider rollout. Germany’s legal framework allows Level 4 vehicles to operate without a driver in approved areas, while requiring human technical supervision and the ability to reach a minimal-risk state. After validating the current route, Lidl plans to test a multi-stop “milkrun” model elsewhere, and further deployments with other Schwarz Group companies are under discussion without a timetable or vehicle count.
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